Lt. Gov. Murray could get boost from new political order

Thursday

Nov 15, 2012 at 6:00 AMNov 15, 2012 at 9:54 AM

By Shaun Sutner TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

The reshuffling of the state's top political figures after last week's elections could have repercussions for the career of Central Massachusetts' most prominent elected official, Lt. Gov. Timothy P. Murray.

Whether Gov. Deval L. Patrick is asked to join President Barack Obama's administration, or, more likely, if U.S. Sen. John F. Kerry becomes secretary of defense or secretary of state, the question remains: Will Mr. Murray run for governor in 2014, given the two damaging scandals that enveloped him over the past year?

One sign that Mr. Murray, who has said he won't make a decision until after the new year, is still in the game is his high-profile speaking appearance today at the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce's Government Affairs Forum, a gathering of the city's top business leaders, lobbyists and political officials.

“No one has a stronger record on delivering important programs, policies and projects all across Massachusetts than Tim has in conjunction with Gov. Patrick,” said Michael Cohen of Holden, a spokesman for Mr. Murray's political committee. “The lieutenant governor is focused on continuing the progress that has been made over the last several years.”

Early in his second term as lieutenant governor, the 43-year-old former Worcester mayor appeared to be among a group of top Democrats eyeing a run for governor, with Mr. Patrick already having declared he wouldn't seek a third term.

But that was before Mr. Murray's November 2011 high-speed car crash on Interstate 190 in Sterling and revelations earlier this year about Mr. Murray's close ties to Michael E. McLaughlin, the disgraced former Chelsea Housing Authority director who now is the target of a grand jury investigation into his fundraising for Mr. Murray, among other things.

Some political observers think Mr. Murray is too wounded to compete in a bruising Democratic primary that could likely include state Treasurer Steven Grossman and U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz, who is leading the grand jury inquest into Mr. McLaughlin. Mr. Murray has been questioned under oath by state and federal investigators in connection with the Chelsea Housing Authority scandal, the Boston Globe has reported.

Meanwhile, the Democrat who wins the primary could likely face a tough Republican opponent such as former GOP governor nominee Charles Baker or U.S. Sen. Scott Brown.

“I think Tim Murray is pretty damaged goods,” said Jason Kauppi, a Republican political consultant who was the chief spokesman for former acting governor and lieutenant governor Jane Swift.

But many in Central Massachusetts say Mr. Murray can put the scandals behind him and resurrect his once-promising prospects.

“Tim Murray has made a career out of surprising those who underestimate him,” said Worcester City Councilor William J. Eddy, a former longtime chairman of the Democratic City Committee. “People in Boston still look at him as the guy from Worcester. What they don't see in Tim Murray is the tenacity, the dogged approach to getting a job done.”

For his part, Mr. Patrick appeared to express confidence in Mr. Murray for the future.

“One of the things the lieutenant governor and I have been able to do is to leave behind is a stronger community and a stronger commonwealth for years to come,” the governor said, speaking to reporters after an address to local housing officials at the DCU Center in Worcester yesterday.

Keys to any ambitious politician's future can often be found in their campaign fundraising prowess, and Mr. Murray's traditionally robust fundraising slowed down dramatically last year.

However, people close to Mr. Murray have noted that last year was an off-election year and that he spent more time on other things, including chairing the National Lieutenant Governors Association.

Going into 2013, a year before the next election for governor, Mr. Murray has $246,165 in his campaign account. By comparison, heading into the 2010 cycle, in 2008, Mr. Murray had just shy of $1 million on hand.

Mr. Grossman, the treasurer and former state and national Democratic Party chairman known for his own fundraising prowess, had $321,273 in his account as of this week. Mr. Baker, who has been making the Republican rounds in recent months but could face internal GOP competition, had only $76,521.

In addition to Mr. Murray, other Central Massachusetts political players who could have roles in 2014 are Worcester County Sheriff Lewis G. Evangelidis, a Republican who has been mentioned as a possible candidate for statewide office even though he is only two years into a six-year term; and former state Rep. Karyn E. Polito, a Shrewsbury Republican.

If Mr. Patrick — who has said repeatedly he will finish out his second term — does end up departing for an Obama administration post, Mr. Murray could gain a significant advantage on Democratic rivals by becoming acting governor.